Voters Better Off Reaches New High, But Clear Divides Remain

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  • Forty-six percent (46%) of voters claim they are better off than they were four years ago, while another 46% say they are not.
    • That is the highest number to report being better off since 2023.
    • It is up 3 points from August and up 9 points from October of 2024.
    • However, just 39% of Main Street voters report being better off, compared to 61% of Elite or Elite Adjacent Voters.*
    • Nearly 6 in 10 postgrads (59%) say they are better off than 4 years ago, compared to just 44% who do not have a postgraduate degree.
  • A majority of voters making less than $75,000 per year report not being better off, while a majority of those making more than that report improvement from four years ago.
    • Just 30% of those making less than $35,000 per year report being better off, compared to 69% of those making more than $150,000.
  • Only 30% say their income has kept up with inflation, while 61% say it’s been falling behind.
    • The number saying their income has kept up nudged slightly higher, from 27%.
    • The number saying it has been falling behind dropped 7 points.
  • Half (51%) of voters say inflation is due to the policies and rhetoric of the president.
    • Only 37% say inflation is primarily due to factors beyond the president’s control.
    • A majority of Democrats (77%) say inflation is due to policies and rhetoric, but only 31% of Republicans say the same.
  • When it comes to basic household expenses like food, clothing, and utilities, 62% are spending more than they were a year ago.
    • That includes 28% who are spending Much More.
    • One quarter (23%) say they are spending less.
    • Only 12% say they are spending about the same amount.

* Elite Voters are defined as those with a postgraduate degree, make more than $150,000 annually, and live in a densely populated urban area. Elite Adjacent Voters have at least one of these characteristics. Main Street voters have none of these characteristics, and make up the largest portion of voters.

This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, November 3-4, 2025. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.